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Ashura 2020, 2021 and 2022

Ashura is a public holiday in Pakistan, as it is in many other nations with large Muslim populations, including neighbouring Afghanistan and India.

Year

Date

Day

Holiday

2020

29 Aug

Sat

Ashura

30 Aug

Sun

Ashura

2021

18 Aug

Wed

Ashura

19 Aug

Thu

Ashura

2022

8 Aug

Mon

Ashura

9 Aug

Tue

Ashura

2023

28 Jul

Fri

Ashura

29 Jul

Sat

Ashura

2024

16 Jul

Tue

Ashura

17 Jul

Wed

Ashura

Please scroll down to end of page for previous years' dates.

The term “Ashura” comes from the Arabic word for “tenth,” and Ashura falls on the 10th day of the Islamic month of Muharram.

Both Sunni and Shia Muslims celebrate Ashura, but they do it differently and for different reasons. Pakistan is mostly Sunni, but estimates are that 10 to 25 percent of the population is Shia. Given that there are over 200 million people in Pakistan, this may equal as much as 40 million Shias, the third-highest Shia community in the world. Thus, both Ashura traditions are strong in Pakistan.